SepCon2004 D.C. conference a great success
By Samuel L. Blumenfeld
web posted December 13, 2004
The cause of educational freedom was given a great boost on the
weekend before Thanksgiving at the Omni-Shoreham Hotel in
Washington, DC. There, at this opulent inn, were gathered some
of the smartest "rebels" in America, voicing uncompromisingly
that the government should get out of the education business.
The occasion was the tenth anniversary of the Alliance for the
Separation of School and State, of which the indefatigable
President is Marshall Fritz. He chose the Omni-Shoreham
because they don't show pornography in their rooms.
Since 1994 Marshall has sponsored a Proclamation for the
Separation of School and State, which, to date, has been signed
by 26,000 individuals around the world. It reads: "I favor ending
government involvement in education." Marshall wants to get one
million signatures. If readers of this column would like to sign it,
get in touch with Marshall Fritz at 1071 N. Fulton Street,
Fresno, CA 93728, www.HonestEdu.org. Their phone is: 888-
325-1776.
The keynote speaker at the conference was none other than our
own Joseph Farah, who said, "It takes a radical agenda to fight a
radical agenda. We are the rebels." In the fight to take back
America, Farah told homeschoolers that they were "the vanguard
of the Revolution." He urged parents, who haven't yet, to get
their kids out.
In fact, "Getting the Kids Out," was the major theme of the
conference. Other speakers included Michael Farris, founder of
the Home School Legal Defense Association and President of
Patrick Henry College. He was the recipient of the 2004 Alexis
de Tocqueville Award presented by Tim and Beverly LaHaye.
His address was on "Judging the Fruits of Secular Statist
Education."
John Taylor Gatto, in a speech entitled "The Paradox of
Extended Childhood," gave one of his stem-winders about the
evils of public schooling and the benefits of educational freedom.
He stressed that the structure of public education cannot be
changed, and that the education act, No Child Left Behind,
should really read, Every Child Left Behind. He also had the
opportunity to tell us about the provocative documentary film he
and a colleague, a former student, are making about American
public schooling. We were shown a sample, which was quite
impressive. He had just returned from Australia by way of a 28-
hour plane trip. His wisdom is slowly spreading across the globe
in ways that the media never hears about. He is a great American
original in the spirit of Jefferson, Adams, and other major
thinkers who shaped this nation. His remarkable book, "The
Underground History of American Education," is slowly making
its way into the minds of Americans who care.
Also at the conference were the two men responsible for
introducing the resolution at the Southern Baptist Convention
calling for the removal of Christian children from the public
schools. Bruce Shortt and T.C. Pinckney brought their story to
the conference in a symposium, "Get the Kids Out" Strategy for
Baptists. Shortt has also written a new book, "The Harsh Truth
About Public Schools," that should send any Baptist minister into
shock.
Another speaker was Brian Ray, President of the National
Home Education Research Institute, which has become the
primary resource for information on homeschooling that the
media turns to when in need. Beverly Eakman, author of "The
Cloning of the American Mind," led a round table on
Psychographics. Her earlier book, "Educating for the New
World Order," has become a classic critique of government
assessment programs that violate the privacy rights of students
and parents. Yours truly also led a round table on Behavioral
Psychology in the Schools.
Joseph Sobran gave one of his entertaining and provocative
views of what our government is doing to protect us. Sobran has
become something of a neo-anarchist in his later years, deeply
suspicious of and greatly annoyed at the state. Homeschooler
Cathy Duffy spoke about the future of education without
government.
This conference was indeed an unbelievable embarrassment of
riches. To have had so many great speakers and knowledgeable
attendees at one conference for two short days is so rare as to
be quite unexpected. Much to my surprise, I also received an
award, The Diggers Award, for having written years ago on the
need to get the government out of education.
I had attended four Alliance conferences in years past, and this
one was not only the best, but also the most exciting. Not only
were the speakers outstanding, but the conference resounded
with a spirit of impending success as more and more people are
beginning to understand that public education cannot be
reformed and that the only solution is a return to educational
freedom.
Samuel L. Blumenfeld is the author of eight books on education,
including, "Alpha-Phonics: A Primer for Beginning Readers,"
"The Whole Language/OBE Fraud," and "Homeschooling: A
Parents Guide to Teaching Children." These books are available
on Amazon.com.
Enter Stage Right -- http://www.enterstageright.com